I didn't expect to finish this so quickly.

Well, here's the second chapter, enjoy!
And, Michael was only a guard under Vaisey for a year or so, and then Isabella for a while, and now this new Sheriff Whatever-His-Name-Is.

XxX

Chapter Two – A Noble is Back!

Michael was supervising the rebuilding of the castle (of course) when he saw a man come up to the edge of the ruin and gape at the destruction. Michael was going to yell at the man to get back to work, but then he realized he'd never seen this man before in his life. Michael decided to simply ignore the man and get a cup of water.

He paid for the water and the dark haired woman who had handed him his cup smiled at him. He smiled awkwardly back and then sipped his water, staying by the stand and watching the strange man who had started to walk towards them.

"Hello!" he called. Michael ignored him, but the woman who had handed him his cup waved. The man apparently took this as an invitation to come closer. "What happened to Nottingham?" he asked Michael.

"Where have you been the last three months?" Michael asked incredulously.

"I've just come back from the Holy Land. My name is Lord Collin of Clunn." The man said. Michael rolled his eyes. Great. Another noble back from the crusades. Michael thought.

"You don't look pleased to see me." The noble sighed. "I knew this would happen."

"Is he mad?" the woman muttered, probably to herself.

"Everyone's forgotten about me!" Collin complained. "Nobody ever forgets about Robin of Locksley, and he was in the Holy Land a lot longer than me."

"Y'know, that might be because of the fact he became Robin 'ood." The woman inserted.

"Yes, yes, Robin Hood. Extreme hero to the people and all that." Collin said grumpily. Michael blinked. Did Collin just use his description of Robin Hood?

"Well, I'm not bein' funny, but what're you going to do about it?" the woman asked.

'Lord Collin of Clunn' seemed to straighten. "I'll help the poor, just like Robin Hood! I just need a gang!" After he said this, he looked at Michael and the woman. Michael shifted.

"Erm…I'm a guard….and I'm supposed to report any rebellions to the new Sheriff, whatever his name is…." Michael said awkwardly.

"It doesn't sound like you enjoy your job very much." Collin observed.

Michael just saw wasted energy in arguing. "I've been a guard for five years. If you were a guard under the Sheriff Vaisey, you'd realize guards don't usually-"

"How old are you?"

Michael glared at Collin and continued. "Normally, guards don't last that long. During my years as a guard I've encountered physical abuse from both outlaws and Sheriffs, and emotional abuse from…well, everyone. No, I obviously don't like my job." Michael took a breath. "And I'm twenty-one."

"What's your name, and do you want to join my band of outlaws?"

"I'm Michael Dark." Michael paused and thought about it for a bit. Well, this guy was obviously crazy. He'd probably forget about it all by tomorrow. Plus, being a guard was boring. "Ah, I've got nothing better to do. Sure."

"What about you?" Collin asked the woman. "How old are you, what is your name, can you wield a sword, are you married, and are you interested in joining?"

"Hey, you didn't ask him if 'e could wield a sword!"

"He's a guard. Obviously, he can wield a sword."

"That's not necessarily true." She muttered. "Anyway, I'm Artemis A'Dale – little sister to the extremely famous and annoying Allan A'Dale – and I'm twenty-three. I can wield a sword as good or better than almost all of the men 'ere, I'm not married, and I'm definitely joining your gang!"

Collin grinned. "Then, let's go!"

"Wait a minute, now?" Michael asked, shocked.

Collin nodded.

"Erm, shouldn't we go and get, y'know, our stuff?" Artemis asked. "My swords are at home, an' I can't fight in a dress."

Collin sighed, obviously disappointed. "Okay….where do you live?"

"Locksley." Artemis said, just as Michael replied with "Knighton."

"And I live in Clunn! All we need is someone from Nettlestone and someone from Nottingham, and we'll be good. Actually since a lot of the people in Nottingham died, we'll probably have trouble with that…" Collin kept rambling on and on. Artemis and Michael looked at each other.

"Not bein' funny, but shouldn't we be going?" Artemis asked. Collin snapped his mouth shut and nodded.

"Michael, I expected better than this…" a smooth voice said behind them al. Michael and Artemis whipped around to look at Sheriff…..whatever his name was.

The new Sheriff of Nottingham was younger than most. He was about average height (maybe a little short, but nobody was going to tell him that) with black hair and brown eyes. His hair was cut at his chin. He didn't have any facial hair, and he was glaring at Michael.

"Don't stand there and look shocked….get back to work!" the Sheriff snapped at a few peasants that were staring. "I am going to excuse Lord Collin of Clunn for two reasons: he may be a lord and from what I have heard he is completely crazy. I am going to excuse Miss Artemis A'Dale because there are so few beautiful things in the world and it is a shame to destroy him."

"I'm not complainin' or anything, but isn't that a bit unfair?" Artemis asked, ignoring the comment about her beauty. She obviously shared her brother's 'I know I'm amazingly attractive, it would be repetitive to point it out' trait.

"I am letting you go free. Just accept it, and show up for the hanging tomorrow." The Sheriff said primly and signaled to two more guards to take Michael to whatever he was using as a makeshift dungeon.

"That was an unfortunate turn of events." Collin said.

XxX

Kace stopped for a minute, leaning against a tree and trying to catch his breath. When the farmer had discovered a Saracen hiding in his cart, he hadn't been happy. That resulted in a farmer with a bloody arm and a Saracen with a bruise under one eye.

Oh, and a few guards chasing him though the forest. As the guards came closer, Kace readied himself to run again.

He was stopped when the guards surrounded the tree he was leaning on. He hadn't even heard the guards that had suddenly appeared in front of him.

Kace weighed his options carefully. He could climb the tree, risk being shot at, and possibly escape. Or, he could go with them, and be hung….hm…there's something to think about.

A slightly short, thin man with black hair walked out of the trees. The guards let him through. "Double execution tomorrow, I believe!" he said cheerfully.

XxX

Yes, Collin is completely crazy.

Also, when I wrote the Sheriff's first line, I imagined Yumichika Ayasegawa from Bleach. So, I just used that. And the Sheriff still needs a name, if anybody has any suggestions.